Forcestone: The Blind Path
by ForceForGood
Summary: The discovery of a mysterious clone army leads to war and forces Obi-Wan Kenobi to make a difficult personal choice that will have repercussions in the Jedi Order and throughout the galaxy. This is a novel-length Obi-centric AU that spans the Episode 2 timeline.


**Title:** "Forcestone: The Blind Path"

**Summary:** The discovery of a mysterious clone army leads to war and forces Obi-Wan Kenobi to make a difficult personal choice that will have repercussions in the Jedi Order and throughout the galaxy. This is a novel-length Obi-centric AU that spans the Episode 2 timeline.

**Genre and rating:** Mainly drama. Rated PG/K+ for moderate violence and mild language. Contains no sexual content or slash.

**Characters:** All the main Star Wars characters will be touched on, but my focus will be on Obi-Wan Kenobi, with supporting roles by Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, an original character, Siri Tachi and Padmè Amidala.

**Inspirations, disclaimers and thanks:** I drew from many official Star Wars sources for inspiration, including George Lucas' six films and their novelizations. Since this is AU, my story may or may not contain spoilers to these works. I, of course, do not own the rights to any of these works, including the characters and plots therein, and I swear on my lightsaber that I gain no profit from my story. This is a hobby for me and I've enjoyed every moment of it! I hope you do, too.

**Dedication:** For my husband, who has been so supportive of my writing; my young apprentices (also known as my beautiful children); and fans worldwide who have kept the marvelous story of Star Wars alive and growing for decades.

**Note:** Although this story is a sequel to my "Forcestone: Guardian of Light," I have designed it to work as a stand-alone story, so if you'd like to jump in and start reading here, go right ahead!

**Chapter 1**

He detected it the moment he stepped off the airbus: A tantalizing aroma drifting through the air, discernible in fits and snatches as passing cloud cars stirred up layers of Coruscant's smoggy atmosphere.

Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in the delectable scent, which was wafting toward him from the north end of the plaza where a squat, grimy oval of a building was belching steam from twin vents in the roof. It was too far away to be sure, but he thought he could identify the smell of Talus-and-Tralus sliders. And Ho'Din-style omelets. And baking Kessinnamon pie.

Obi-Wan smiled with satisfaction. Now that was the scent of home. Not the horrible stench currently pervading the corridors of the Jedi Temple, where he had attempted to eat dinner less than an hour ago: like a mixture of burnt seaweed and rotting nerf meat. The Temple cooks had called the travesty of a dish "vercupti of sgazza boleruuee." Obi-Wan had no idea what it was made of, or what species of Jedi it was intended to be a meal for, but the smell had put him off of eating any of the other dishes being offered in the Temple refectory that day. And so he had made his way to CoCo Town. Old habits die hard.

Obi-Wan walked across the plaza and soon reached his destination, easily identifiable by the lighted sign in the front window proclaiming: Dex's Diner.

He paused outside the door for a moment, waiting for a group of dock workers to exit - their smocks now stained with grease from Dex's famous sliders to complement the industrial grease stains from the starships they unloaded - and then he walked inside, accompanied by the jingling of the bell on the door.

Almost instantly he was spotted by Hermione Bagwa, a blond, dimpled Human waitress who had been working for Dex since he'd bought the diner and who knew all the regulars on sight.

"Hi, hon," she said, as she bustled past Obi-Wan with a tray full of drinks. "I'll tell Dex you're here. I'm sure he'll be right out."

"No need to rush," he called after her, wondering briefly if Hermione knew she was the only person in the galaxy who got away with calling him "hon." "I'm not here on business."

"So much the better," Hermione said, flashing him a quick smile before turning her attention back to her customers. Obi-Wan scanned the room, which was only half-full at this hour, and briefly considered sitting at the bar, when someone sitting alone at one of the booths caught his attention.

Well, well, well. Apparently Anakin Skywalker had also taken a disliking to vercupti of whatever.

The Padawan was sitting hunched in the corner of a booth, alternating between idly shredding a napkin on the table and gazing moodily out the window.

The door jingled again, and a large group of middle-aged men entered the diner and stood in a cluster near Obi-Wan as they looked around for an empty table large enough to accommodate them. Law clerks, judging by the IDs swinging from their belts, but by their dress there was nothing to distinguish them from so many of those in the middle class - simple tunics, long robes, all in neutral colors to conform with courtroom dress codes. Anakin glanced up at the law clerks, and for a split second his eyes rested on Obi-Wan standing in their midst, but then slid right on past to observe a pair of Twi'lek girls shrieking and giggling as they watched a young man try to impress them with his skills on an old-fashioned simulated flying game displayed on a boxy console against the wall.

Obi-Wan grinned, having some idea why Anakin had failed to recognize him, and nonchalantly followed the law clerks as they walked past Anakin's table, but then turned and quietly crept up from behind. Now Anakin was stirring his drink absentmindedly, but his fingers weren't touching the straw - he was swirling his finger in a small circle around the straw, which was mimicking the movement as though an invisible thread was attached to it.

"A Jedi does not use the Force frivolously," he said in a stern voice right by Anakin's ear.

To his credit, Anakin didn't jump - his reflexes were finely tuned enough that he knew instinctively when he was in danger and when he wasn't - but he did turn sharply and give Obi-Wan a long puzzled stare until at last his eyes widened in recognition. "Obi-Wan?" he said incredulously. "What in the...?" His voice trailed off in confusion.

"Good to see you too, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, smiling. "And yes, thank you, I would love to join you. Thanks for asking." He sat down on the seat opposite Anakin and permitted himself a slight smirk.

Anakin stared at him for another moment, and then a grin began to spread slowly across his face. "Hey, Obi-Wan," he said. "You've got something on your face."

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny."

"Looks like a nerf died and got stuck on your chin."

"It's called a beard. Someday, when you're a man, you can have one too."

Anakin laughed. "Hey, I'm 19 years old. I'm already a man."

"Really? Because your chin looks as smooth as a baby membibi."

"That's because I know what a razor is and how to use it. What happened to yours?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I threw it out."

"What for?"

"Can't tell you. Then I'd have to kill you."

"So the beard's for some undercover thing?"

"No, not really."

"Well, what then?" Anakin demanded.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "None of your business."

Anakin shook his head. "I'll get it out of you sooner or later, so I don't know why you bother to resist."

"You're not that irresistible. Although I think those Twi'leks think you are."

Interested, Anakin craned his head to look at the girls. "Really? Why? Were they looking at me?"

Obi-Wan lightly punched Anakin's arm. "In your dreams. Women like real men. Bearded men."

Anakin punched Obi-Wan back good-naturedly. "You mean old men? Like you?" Successfully diverted from the topic at hand, he laughed and then settled back into his seat and took a sip from his drink. "It's been way too long, Obi-Wan. More than a year since Taris, hasn't it been? How did you find me here, anyway?" Suddenly his eyes narrowed. "Did Qui-Gon send you out to look for me?"

"No. I haven't seen him. I didn't even know the two of you were on Coruscant. I just arrived home yesterday."

"Oh." Anakin relaxed a little. "Yeah, we've been here a few weeks. Master Qui-Gon thinks I need to focus on my academics." He wrinkled his nose to show what he thought about that. "Where's Ivan?"

"He's having a little impromptu sparring session with a couple of his friends. More for fun than for training, I think, but he's earned some play time. We've been out in the field a long time." Obi-Wan didn't mention that he had felt the need for downtime himself, which was partly why he'd headed to Dex's Diner in the first place. It was a joy to be around Ivan Bal-Tova and a pleasure to be his Master, but after spending the last year and a half on back-to-back missions, all full of rushing around the galaxy and quelling conflicts and chasing down people and hiding from people and trying to stay out of politics and trying not to get killed, all the while living in close quarters with a Padawan who had now grown old enough and confident enough to start talking back to his Master when he didn't agree with Obi-Wan's decisions...

Well, it was enough to say it was time for a break. Obi-Wan was looking forward to a slower pace of living while they were at the Temple, and an opportunity to begin guiding his Padawan through some of the meditations and studies that would help him prepare for the Trials. At 21, Ivan was more than halfway through his apprenticeship, and soon he would enter the final and most difficult phase of his training. Obi-Wan knew Ivan was feeling trepidation about that, and so was he. Had it really been nine years since he'd asked that slender young boy to be his Padawan? And now Ivan was counted among the senior Padawans and had grown taller than Obi-Wan, something Ivan never let him forget. Only a handful of years left, and Ivan would be Knighted, Force willing, and then what would Obi-Wan do with himself? Right now he couldn't even imagine. He could barely remember what it was like, that year between his own Knighting and when he had taken Ivan as his first student. He seemed to remember it had been lonely.

Suddenly, something Anakin had said a moment ago sunk in. "Wait a minute. Is Qui-Gon out looking for you, Anakin?"

Anakin's face grew serious. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably not, though. He would have at least tried to call first."

"But he doesn't know where you are?"

"No," Anakin reluctantly admitted. "I left kind of... suddenly."

"Oh, Anakin," Obi-Wan began, dismayed, but was interrupted by Flo, Dex's droid waitress, as she rolled up and asked Obi-Wan what he'd like.

"I'll start with a Pantoran Plate No. 3. And a cup of ardees, please, and make sure it's good and hot," Obi-Wan said.

"It's always good, and it's always hot," Flo said waspishly, and having said her say, whirred away to get it, a distinct ruffled attitude emanating from her tin frame.

When Obi-Wan looked back across the table, Anakin was busily stirring his drink again - holding the straw with his fingers this time - and keeping his head ducked down low, so that all Obi-Wan could see was the top of his spiky hair.

"Is everything all right?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"Not really," Anakin mumbled, not looking up. "We, uh... had words, Qui-Gon and I."

"I see."

Anakin stirred his drink purposefully again, although all the ice had long ago melted, but finally he stopped and looked up, intensity blazing in his eyes.

"I'm not a little boy anymore," he said. "But Qui-Gon manages not to see it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he does nothing but criticize me! No matter what I say or do, it's never good enough."

"Oh, Anakin. That's what a Master is for - helping you find your flaws and correct them. How else would you grow and learn? And I have heard him compliment you many times."

"I know, I know." Anakin toned down his voice a little. "Don't get me wrong - he's a wonderful Master and I'm grateful to be his apprentice. Only... he's being so stubborn! I'm ready for the Trials now. I know I am. But he refuses to bring me before the Council!"

Obi-Wan kept his voice neutral, sensing that this was a time to listen and not to lecture. "That must be frustrating."

"It is! Look. The Trial of Courage? I've already passed it a dozen times over. I have never faced a foe that I feared to fight. Never. And the Trial of Skills? I could have passed it a year ago. I can already beat half the Knights in the Temple. And don't look at me like that. It isn't bragging. Master Drallig said it himself."

"You are a skilled fighter," Obi-Wan allowed. "But those are only two of the five tests."

"I'm ready to take the others, too. I'm sure I could handle them. But Qui-Gon won't even give me the chance!" Anakin paused for a moment as Flo returned to their table to deliver Obi-Wan's ardees before wheeling on to another customer's table, holding a platter piled high with Dex's famous sliders and overflowing with heaps of garnish.

When she was gone, Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and spread his arms helplessly. "Did Qui-Gon do this to you? How long did you have to wait before he finally - well, I guess he never did let you take the Trials, did he?"

"The circumstances of my Knighting were rather unusual, as I'm sure you remember. But just like you, I was sure I was ready for the Trials years before I actually was."

"Years..." Anakin moaned. "I can't wait that long."

"Be patient. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up," Obi-Wan said. He took a sip of ardees and grimaced. Lukewarm, of course.

"One day you'll think of your apprenticeship as one of the best times of your life," Obi-Wan continued. "I know I do."

"Well, it's easy for you to say that," Anakin said. "Qui-Gon likes you. He can't say enough good things about you. Obi-Wan, the perfect Padawan."

Obi-Wan laughed out loud.

"By the stars, Anakin - I was far from being a perfect Padawan. I could tell you a few things about it, only I'm too ashamed to. And even if you aren't a perfect Padawan, Anakin, it doesn't mean Qui-Gon disapproves of you. He's very fond of you. He just... he has very high expectations of you. You're certainly capable of rising to those expectations, but you mustn't be surprised that he is being careful not to push you too far, too fast. Knighting a Jedi before he's ready can cause a great deal of damage, both to him and to those whose wellbeing is placed into his hands too soon. If Qui-Gon is delaying your advancement, he's doing it because he has reason to believe it's in your best interests."

Anakin slowly let out a breath. "I know. I know. You're right, as always. It's just... hard to wait. I feel like my feet are stuck in sand. I want to move."

Yes, Obi-Wan thought, that was Anakin in a nutshell. Always on the move.

Flo wheeled past again to deliver Obi-Wan's dinner, and the conversation turned to other topics as he began to eat. Anakin pulled himself out of his gloom enough to help himself to some of Obi-Wan's dinner. Luckily the portions were big.

They had just cleaned the platter and were beginning to debate what kind of dessert to get when they were confronted with a rather loud interruption.

"Obi-Wan!" a great booming voice shouted out from the general direction of the kitchen. Obi-Wan and Anakin turned their heads to see where it was coming from - and so did everyone else in the diner.

Dexter Jettster was the sort of being who would command attention in almost any crowd, and even more so in his own domain, where all the regulars knew him and loved him. A grizzled old Besalisk, he towered over everyone else in the diner, and thanks to a steady diet of his own deep-fried food he had them beat in girth as well. Although upon meeting Dexter, one's eye was inevitably drawn to his four beefy arms, capable of crushing most sentients with a slight effort, in truth Dex ruled over his diner with a light hand and a cheerful voice. He was quick to make a joke, always interested in what you had to say, full of strange wisdom and outlandish stories from his many travels through the galaxy, a deft hand in the kitchen, and most importantly, he was generous with his portions. He was, in short, impossible to dislike.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Jedi!" Dex exclaimed, lumbering over to Obi-Wan's table and grabbing him in a four-armed embrace. "And young Anakin, too!" Anakin was treated to the same enthusiastic welcome.

"Hello, Dex," Obi-Wan said. "I think you should know, Flo is in fine form today."

Dex chuckled heartily. "You don't need to tell me! Hermione spent all morning getting her worked up. Bossing Flo around as if she were a dishwashing machine and not a cagey little droid who's been waitressing longer than Hermione has! I never get a moment's peace when those two share a shift."

"Hey, Dex," Anakin said. "Got anything new?"

Obi-Wan could have kicked Anakin for asking. Dex was always experimenting with new and more unhealthy variations to his menu, and often recruited his regulars to test them out. Trying one of Dex's new dishes was much like gambling - you might find yourself dazzled by an incredible new taste sensation, or you might end up spending an uncomfortable night in the Healer's Wing. But Obi-Wan was too fond of Dex to refuse his requests - and Force knew he owed Dex many times over for the street information he could provide when Obi-Wan couldn't find what he needed from the Temple's resources. If Dex couldn't provide an answer, he would at least know where you could find someone who could. And so Obi-Wan tolerated being made into a gastronomical experiment from time to time. But he wasn't mad enough to invite such opportunities. He tried to shoot Anakin a subtle glare for bringing up the subject, but Anakin missed it because he was busy looking hopefully at Dex as though he were actually looking forward to gambling with his health.

"Ah, I hoped you would ask that! I do have something new, and you two are exactly what I need to give 'em a try," Dex said. "Come on! Come in! You've got to see this!"

Dex pushed open the swinging door that led to the kitchen, and impatiently gestured for them to follow him. Anakin went without hesitation. Obi-Wan sighed, and then followed them with a resigned air.

The two Jedi followed Dex through the kitchen, Obi-Wan trying not to notice how greasy both the surfaces and the cooks themselves were ... but Dex unexpectedly walked right past all the sizzling griddles and bubbling pots and exited through the back door.

Obi-Wan had never been behind the diner before, and looked around curiously. A high wall surrounded a wide, flat expanse of dirt, a rare sight in a city long ago covered over by permacrete and metal. A rough track had been marked out around the perimeter of the area. And parked side by side on the track were two of the strangest looking vehicles Obi-Wan had ever seen.

They were boxy and small, just large enough for a single humanoid to sit inside at the controls. One was painted in yellow stripes and the other with red stripes. But most extraordinary of all were the four round rubbery objects attached to the bottom of the vehicle where a repulsorlift should have been installed.

"They have wheels? That roll on the ground?" Anakin said in disbelief.

"Quaint," Obi-Wan said. "Where did you get them?"

"I first saw one of these when I was out prospecting on Subterrel, beyond the Outer Rim," Dex said. "This baby was manufactured for racing in the the Petnap Arena. They don't use hovercraft of any kind there - it's tradition. What you have here is a Querrian land vehicle."

"Gonzo!" Anakin said, already crawling under one of them to inspect the innards. "Look at that! The braking mechanism actually uses friction!"

Obi-Wan stuck his head through the open frame of the cockpit and looked at the pilot's controls. Rather than a console filled with buttons and levers, as he was accustomed to seeing in a speeder, there was only a large wheel with various knobs sticking out around it.

"You steer with that," Dex said, pointing to the wheel. "No up or down, of course - just left and right."

"But how do you make it go?"

"You press the pedals on the floor with your feet. One makes you speed up, the other slows you down. Don't press both at the same time, or you'll end up a mangled wreck." Dex laughed heartily.

"Sounds dangerous," Obi-Wan said. "These Querrians, do they make a safe vehicle?"

"That depends."

"Depends on what, Dex?"

The Besalisk grinned. "On how good your manners are. And how big your pocketbook is. Safety features cost more."

Anakin scrambled out from under the vehicle. His tunic and trousers were covered in dirt, but his smile was a mile wide.

"Can we fly them, Dex? I mean, drive them? Please?"

"Whattaya think I brought you out here for?" Dex said. He hitched up his trousers with two of his arms, and gestured at the two Jedi with the other two. "Get in! I'd like to see them in action. If they're any good, I might start up a little side business hosting races back here. Bring in more customers."

Anakin didn't need any urging. In moments he had climbed into the yellow-striped land vehicle and was fastening the safety straps. Obi-Wan hesitated.

"Wait, I have a bad feeling about this. Why does it come with safety straps?" he asked Dex.

"Obi-Wan, lighten up," Anakin said, starting his engine. "You think too much. Just get in and go!"

"I've got to think too much, because you don't think enough," Obi-Wan muttered, but Anakin didn't hear him over the roar of the engine.

Obi-Wan climbed into the red-striped vehicle and started it up. Anakin was already halfway around the track and gaining speed. By the time Obi-Wan had strapped in, the yellow vehicle whipped past his, spraying dust into the air.

It didn't take long to get a feel for the vehicle. Obi-Wan was surprised to find he enjoyed it - the way he could feel the tires digging into the track as he turned the steering wheel, the way the vehicle jolted over every bump, the way the wind whipped his hair around. After half a dozen laps, Anakin came up behind him, abruptly swerved around and then cut in front of him. Obi-Wan slammed on the brakes and his vehicle skidded to a halt. Anakin backed up his vehicle until he stopped next to Obi-Wan and grinned mischievously through the side window at him.

"Nice reflexes," he said. "How do you like it?"

"Well, I suppose it's better than flying," Obi-Wan said. "I like not having to worry about plummeting down to my death in the event of an accident."

"It needs something more to spice up the experience," Anakin said. "We need more speed. And some competition. I'll bet you one of Dex's sliders that I can finish three laps before you can."

"You just ate!"

"That was half an hour ago."

"That isn't a good idea, Anakin. These don't belong to us, and if we wreck them..."

"I'm not going to wreck mine," Anakin said confidently. "Come on, Obi-Wan. When was the last time you did anything impulsive?"

"It seems like I always end up doing something impulsive when I'm with you."

"Then you'll do it!" Anakin said triumphantly.

Anakin's enthusiasm was infectious. Obi-Wan knew he shouldn't, but he found himself saying, "Very well."

They circled around to the other side of the track to ask Dex to start them off. While they had been driving around, the cooks from the kitchen and several more customers had joined Dex outside, and they were enthusiastic about watching a race.

Dex banged a spoon against a pot to signal the start of the race. Anakin and Obi-Wan slammed their accelerators to maximum and wheels spun madly in the dirt, creating billows of dust, before the vehicles suddenly leaped forward. Anakin whooped in jubilation as his surged ahead.

Obi-Wan didn't need to use the Force to see the future. There was just no way he - or probably anyone else in the galaxy - could best Anakin Skywalker in a piloting contest of any kind. Obi-Wan had hardly completed his second lap when Anakin came rocketing up behind him to finish his third.

Dex and the spectators shouted their approval, and Anakin hopped out of his yellow-striped vehicle and acknowledged the applause with a huge grin and an extravagant bow. Obi-Wan turned off his vehicle and good-naturedly joined the noisy crowd in slapping Anakin's back.

"Now, that is racing!" Anakin exclaimed. "I need to get myself a couple of these!"

"Too bad possessions are forbidden," Obi-Wan said wryly.

"Well, I wouldn't tell anyone about it!" Anakin said. "I'll smuggle them into the Temple one piece at a time and hide them somewhere. Then when everyone's asleep, I'll rebuild them and go for a joyride. After all, our ancient predecessors built the hallways big enough to fly a starfighter through. Might as well put them to good use."

"An excellent plan," Obi-Wan said. "Except you just told me about it."

"I'll let you drive sometimes, if you keep my secret."

"Will you let me win sometimes?"

Anakin pretended to think about it. "No."

"I'm going straight to Master Windu." Obi-Wan pulled away from the throng and marched purposefully toward the kitchen door.

"Oh no you don't!" Anakin dove forward and got between Obi-Wan and the door and put up his hands in a mock fighting stance.

Obi-Wan folded his arms calmly. "Rules are made to be followed, Anakin. I have the high moral ground."

"You underestimate my powers," Anakin warned. He took a step toward Obi-Wan.

"Don't try it," Obi-Wan said coolly.

Anakin attacked.

But when he went to restrain Obi-Wan in a headlock, his arms closed around empty space.

The next thing he knew, his legs were kicked out from under him, and he hit the dirt with a thud. The crowd laughed and applauded energetically.

"Urgh," Anakin said, staring up at the smoggy sky.

Obi-Wan leaned over him, grinning delightedly. "Oh dear. The little student thought he could beat a teacher!"

"I hate you," Anakin said, but the effect was spoiled because he couldn't help laughing as he said it.

"You'll have to be more convincing than that," Obi-Wan said, extending a hand to help Anakin up.

Anakin gripped Obi-Wan's hand and dragged him down into the dirt too. In moments they were rolling around in an impromptu wrestling match.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" a cook yelled out. Everyone else took up the chant. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Neither one made much headway because they were both laughing too much. Obi-Wan eventually managed to shove Anakin off him and get a moment to catch his breath.

"You still owe me a slider," Anakin said smugly, standing up and brushing the dust off his knees.

"Very well," Obi-Wan said tolerantly. "Let's make it quick, though. I've already been gone longer than I meant to be. Ivan will be waiting for me. I'm supposed to guide him through a meditation tonight."

"You can't rush eating a slider," Anakin said. "You have to savor every mouthful. What's more important, food or meditation?"

"To each their own time." Obi-Wan began quoting Master Rona-Ban: "To the needs of the body, a Jedi gives due consideration, but when the hunger is satisfied and the thirst is slaked, he looks to the Force for-"

"Oh, stuff Master Rona-Ban," Anakin said impatiently. "He never had one of Dex's sliders."

They laughed together as they trooped back through Dex's kitchen, surrounded by boisterous cooks and customers. Dex shouldered his way through the crowd to give Obi-Wan and Anakin each an enormous grin and a hearty slap on the shoulder, nearly knocking them into the bubbling vats with his enthusiasm. Obi-Wan suspected this wouldn't be the last race Dex hosted behind his diner, although it would certainly be difficult for anyone to top Anakin's performance.

They returned to the dining area and the crowd slowly dispersed, the customers returning to their tables and the cooks disappearing back to their stations, Dex promising to make Anakin's slider himself - "with double special sauce!" Anakin called out as Dex squeezed himself through the swinging doors back into the kitchen.

In the comparative quiet that settled through the diner now, the HoloNet transceiver playing in the corner was suddenly made audible. One of the local news channels was playing, and a brilliant flash of orange on the screen caught Obi-Wan's eye. It looked like there had been some type of explosion on a landing pad. It wasn't all that uncommon for cloud cars to meet their fiery end in the skylanes of the Republic's capital world, despite the Coruscant Traffic Control's best efforts to permit only highly qualified pilots to fly them, but something about this explosion caught and held Obi-Wan's attention: the highly mirrored surface of the sleek ship being swallowed in flames. Chromium plating was very expensive, and typically only used by royalty. There must have been a high-profile citizen aboard, which would explain why the accident made the news. Obi-Wan strained to hear through the chatter of the diners around him, and was stunned to hear the woman on the screen say: "... identified as a J-type diplomatic barge. Senator Amidala is believed to have been on board, as she was due to arrive on Coruscant today in time for the imminent vote on the Military Creation Act."

"What did that say?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan, startled, and he too spun around to look at the HoloNet screen.

"As Amidala is the leading member of the act's opposition, there is already speculation that this may not have been an accident," the report continued. "However, official sources have not yet released a statement concerning the cause of the explosion. Coruscant Security forces are investigating on the scene as we speak."

Anakin abruptly stood, not taking his eyes from the screen, and moved closer so he could hear better. Obi-Wan followed him.

The screen continued to show the explosion from various angles, captured from vidfeeds installed on the surrounding buildings, as the woman's voice continued: "Three E2-T shuttles arrived within minutes of the explosion and carried six passengers to the Galactic Senate MedCenter on Hospital Plaza, less than a mile from the scene. Hospital officials have not issued a casualty report."

The reporter moved on to enumerating the nearby skylanes and landing platforms that were now closed as a result of the incident. Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, concerned. While Senator Amidala's fate would have an important political impact, Obi-Wan admitted to feeling a certain amount of personal concern for her as well, after his and Qui-Gon's efforts to protect her during the Invasion of Naboo, but he knew Anakin would feel even more so. Six years after the Naboo Crisis, Padme Amidala had given her personal funds to help secure Shmi Skywalker's freedom, earning Anakin's lifelong gratitude. Obi-Wan knew Anakin and Senator Amidala had even continued to correspond from time to time in the years since, having much in common besides their shared history in those events: both having been thrust into positions of great responsibility at a very young age. Obi-Wan knew Anakin had thought of the strong-willed young woman as a friend even before he became a Jedi, since the time he knew her as Padme the handmaiden and not a planetary queen.

Anakin's face was upturned, light from the screen flickering across his features; he looked ashen. He listened intently until the end of the report.

Obi-Wan put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. Anakin looked across at Obi-Wan, and it was plain to see the fear growing in his eyes.

"Obi-Wan..." Anakin said slowly. "She might have been..." He stopped and swallowed with a dry throat.

"You don't know that," Obi-Wan said quickly. "Early reports like this are always sketchy. She may not have even been on board."

"I have to know," Anakin said hollowly. "I'm going. Will you tell Qui-Gon where I went?" Anakin was already turning, heading for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked, walking rapidly to keep up with him.

"To the MedCenter. To find out what happened!"

"Wait," Obi-Wan put a restraining hand on Anakin's arm, but the Padawan shook it off. "Anakin, you know they won't tell you anything there. You don't have the proper authorization. We'll go back to the Temple. By the time we get there, we may know more."

"I'm not going to just sit around and wait to hear it on the HoloNet," Anakin snapped. "I'll make them tell me." They left the diner and strode out into the plaza, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Anakin, you know how CorSec gets when Jedi interfere on their turf..." Anakin pressed a button on his comlink to summon an airtaxi.

"I'll go with you," Obi-Wan said.

"No. It'll be better if it's just one. Just go tell Qui-Gon. So he doesn't worry."

"Anakin..."

"It was great to see you, Obi-Wan," Anakin said with finality. After a moment he relented, looked Obi-Wan in the eye and smiled a little. "Really, it was. Wish I could see you more. You make me a little... I don't know, a little less crazy sometimes." He took a step back. "I'll call you if I find out anything, OK?" He turned and strode toward the dedicated airtaxi pads in the center of the plaza.

Obi-Wan stood there helplessly for a moment, and then pulled out his own comlink and called Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon answered in moments. "Obi-Wan. I didn't know you were on Coruscant."

"Did you hear the news?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"News?"

"Senator Amidala's ship exploded just as it arrived in the Ambassadorial Sector. Less than an hour ago."

There was a short silence. "I better find out if Anakin knows."

"He does. He was just with me. He's going off to the Galactic Senate MedCenter to see if he can find out what happened. They aren't releasing the casualty report yet. I couldn't stop him from going. Do you want me to follow him?" In the distance, Obi-Wan saw an airtaxi landing near Anakin.

Over the comlink, Obi-Wan heard Qui-Gon sigh. "No, thank you. I'll meet him there. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome."

Qui-Gon ended the transmission. Obi-Wan watched as Anakin boarded the airtaxi and it swept up into the sky. Within moments, it had disappeared into the crowded skylanes.

"Always on the move," Obi-Wan murmured. Then he sighed and headed toward the airbus terminal on the south end of the plaza. He'd better go home. His Padawan would be waiting for him.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
